Saturday Sayings: The Instructional Leader

This week I sat through several screening interviews for the administrative position at my school. While taking notes, I wrote these words about my favorite applicant: She would make me a better teacher. Later I came to this epiphany -  I can't say those words about any of my previous administrators. 

Here's the crazy part. I never noticed. Not once did I feel any lack. In fact, two of my administrators in particular, were out-of-this-world amazing. I consider myself beyond blessed to have worked under their guidance. Yet I can't recall any moments in the evaluation process where I ever felt stretched or was given something to chew on regarding my practice. I don't believe they let me down though. What they did do, they did so well, that I was able to concentrate on my classroom and my methods. Their leadership gave me space to learn and grow and be a professional. I am forever grateful.

So what is the moral of this tale? I've been tossing that question around for a few days myself. I think Gentry provides the answer. When it comes down to it, I'm the one who knows my practice best. Though it would be ideal to have another set of eyes to help me see next steps on my trajectory of improvement, sometimes that's just not reality. Ultimately, I'm responsible for analyzing what I do from day to day, asking the hard questions, and pushing myself to the next level. I must be my own instructional leader. Having said that, it's a blessed thing when the administrator creates a culture where this is all possible.

(Please know that I'm in no way bashing administrators.  Like I said, I've been so blessed by mine. I'm curious though.  Have your administrators made you a better teacher? If so, how? I'd love to hear from you.)

My Recommendations

If you are looking for a good book to read, I can give you some great recommendations.  Here's what I've been up to.

March

I just love JoJo Moyes books.  This one didn't disappoint.

Here's another JoJo book.  Although still good, The Last Letter From Your Lover was better.

April

I really enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns in this read.

Here's the book everyone needs to read.  I've already recommended it to several of my favorite people.  (Any Northwest people will definitely enjoy the fact that it's set in Seattle.)

Well, it was okay.

I've read every book in this series.

This YA book is similar to The Fault In Our Stars.  

It wasn't my favorite, but it was enjoyable.

Do you feel enticed?  I hope so!

Saturday Sayings: Be Cousin Laurie

This is the time of year when I can find something inwardly frustrated about various issues I've consistently talked about with certain little people that really shouldn't be issues at this point in the ball game.  My inward dialogue sounds something like this...

• Seriously, troubles with b and d...still? (Then there's p and q and other random backwards letters.)

• Come on.  You know which way a 3 goes.  (Or a 5, 6, 7...)

• How many times have we talked about how writers and mathematicians aren't lazy?  If they make a mistake, they erase the wrong answer.  They don't just write the new over the old.  Sigh.

• This number is a 12.  Not 20, not even 21.  It's 12.

• Wuz - I think we learned that word in week three. 

This is the short list.  It's a good thing none of this ever leaves my mouth.

I have a cousin Laurie, and she has an elevated view of my abilities.  She's not shy about verbalizing them either.  I've known her to repeatedly brag: "She's the best singer I know."  "She's the best first grade teacher in the world."  And she's not about flattery.  Laurie really believes these things and a myriad of other ideas about me, regardless of the fact I don't see myself as anywhere near the ideal she sees. She's a cheerleader.  Everyone needs a cousin Laurie.

Recently I witnessed her boasting about me again.  I walked away with the realization that my job title is to be cousin Laurie to each of my students.  I should have an elevated view of their abilities.  I must see their strengths, work from their strengths, and never be shy about calling them out.  

This is my late-in-the-game pep talk.  As I draw to the end of the year, my inner dialogue is feeling the effects of almost nine months of teaching.  Not only am I battling the issues that certain students still struggle with, like the ones I mentioned above, but I'm affected by fatigue, lack of time, loose ends, a long to-do list, school business, a few not-up-to-par assessment results, etc.  It can be easy to forget my role as the cheerleader, the one who continues to call out the strengths of my students in every situation to the very last second of the game.  Here's to being cousin Laurie.

Saturday Sayings: Teacher Leader

This last week I remembered I have a math series, because I had to haul it down from its dusty position above my cabinets. The safety inspector was coming to town, and the two feet between the top of my cabinets and the ceiling is supposed to be clear.  (Only twenty-five perfect of my walls should be covered too.  Yeah, crazy.  I left that one alone.)  Needless to say, the safety inspector is gone and I was given permission to return my neglected published materials back where they belong - out of my way.

That math series was purchased before Common Core Math Standards came along.  New standards obviously brought a need for updated materials.  My district chose not to buy us a new math series.  I'm unsure if that decision was purely financial or whether there was a pedagogical influence as well.  Either way, three years ago we were thrown into a phase of making highly informed interpretations of standards. Writing units and developing lessons became a priority for grade level teams.  Digging into the standards and understanding every concept became a necessity.  Searching for sound tasks, reading professional books, and collaborating became essential.  Even though the ground work was laid three years ago, we've continued to revise units based on our continually evolving understanding of the standards and our mathematicians.  Our district opened the door for teachers to lead the way.

There's been a bit of murmuring at times about this whole process.  It takes time and commitment to do what we've done.  Some have wished the district would have supplied us with a complete math curriculum magically aligned to the Common Core.  I've chosen to keep my mouth shut during these conversations, because that's the last thing I would wish for.  I didn't want someone else leading me - telling me what my math units should look like.  I rarely have faith and trust in the faceless publisher.  I wanted to find out for myself what works and doesn't work; what I'm supposed to teach and how to teach it.  This way takes more work, effort, and time and it can be a little messy, but it's so worth it.  I know I'm a better math teacher, and I'd like to think my students are better mathematicians too, which is why being a teacher leader is thoroughly worth the hassle.

Saturday Sayings: Literacy Success for All

Poetry is in full swing in my room.  We're exactly six days in, and my writers are officially poets now, more or less.  A few of them blew my mind on day one, especially Carson, who wrote, "A crayon is like a magical stick of a rainbow.  So pretty."  This guy is a natural.  Not every poem he writes is a magical-stick-of-a-rainbow kind of poem of course, but there's no doubt he's feeling satisfied with himself most days.  I wish that for all my writers.  If only I could surgically implant his poetic way with words into all their smart parts. Fortunately, under the right conditions, many Carson-like poets have emerged, but there are still those who are simply going through the motions.  They have yet to find their way.

I believe many of my writers are catching on because they've heard great poems by poets of all ages repeatedly celebrated and investigated.  They've watched me model (and muddle) my own way through the poetic process. They've "shared the pen" with me as we've written poems together during shared writing.  They've been part of daily mini-lessons and literally spent hours simply practicing their new-found skills.  

After all this hard work though, the question still remains.  How do I ensure they all experience the satisfaction that Carson feels when he finds a powerful poem at his fingertips?  I refuse to abandon any of the above strategies, but the one I know I need more of is shared writing. Routman grabs my attention when she says "literacy success for all." That certainly includes those who are just going through the motions.  The benefits of writing together is so lengthy I won't take time to elaborate here, but after several repeated shared writing experiences, the evidence of transfer should be apparent in each writers' personal writing in some way or another.  

When we've penned a poem together that's a magical-stick-of-a-rainbow kind of poem, the group's reaction is priceless.  The air of satisfaction is palpable.  That's how I imagine Carson feels most days, and that's what I want for everyone.  It will take more shared writing experiences to ensure that kind of successful feeling for all.

Saturday Sayings: Validation

I rarely see commercials, but about a week ago I caught one I wish I hadn't.  Simply put, it told Idaho that I'm not a competent teacher and the children in my classroom are getting a below-parr education.  Fortunately I don't remember specifics or even the name of the organization who sponsored the add or their motivation for spreading this ugly news across my state.  Sadly though, numbers and statistics sound convincing to the listener without proper background knowledge, and too many will most likely believe that indeed the children of this state are doomed.  

I shook it off fairly easily, and that's partly because I think I have a knack for doing what Burgess advises.  I've always kept my nose to the grindstone so to speak when it comes to educational politics.  Those who know me best might even say I keep my head in the sand, and there's much truth to that too.  (My educator family members had to tell me which state superintendent to vote for.)  I don't necessarily recommend my extreme type of ignorance when it comes to what's being said or decisions being made "out there" in regards to education, but I also don't know that the benefits of reading every article, listening to every newscast, or being in the middle of each heated argument about education outweigh the negative residue or unrest that accompanies those situations.  

Even I can assemble the puzzle pieces and see that there seems to be a lack of understanding and support for teachers these days, and it's not the best timing either.  With all the curricular changes being made in schools across the nation, a few extra pats on the back might be nice.  I can only control what I can control though, so I hypothetically close my door to all the nonsense and simply teach.  Huddled together with my 23 little ones in the safety and sanctuary of my room is where I find my validation.  

Poetry Greatness

I don't have my own kids to brag about, so I get to brag about my 23 first grade kids.  Today was our first official day of writing poetry, and they blew my mind.  Here are just a few examples.

With the right kind of front loading, modeled writing, and shared writing, kids can show their writing greatness in amazing ways.  (And this is only day one.)